Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-05-05
SAVED BY A SUNG.

Il oaN LII ~ SONd.
In far away Iyr0ltse valley lived
little Elsa. in log chalet, alone with
her old grandfather. Frowning preci
pieces encircled the narrow strip o.
meadow that bordered the rushing
stream flowing from the giants of snow
and rock towering into the sky all
around. But old Franz was getting
old. and Elsa had to help him to till
the little plots of Indian corn and mil
lit round the chalet, and when the
sheaves were ripe, to hang them up to
dry upon wooden slaves with branch
Ing arms, which made the fields look
as If peopled with scarecrows. She
had to drive the cows to the upland
pastures, and to make the cheeses
which, every week, old Franz carried
in a basket on his back down the val
ley, to sell at the nearest village. But
when her work was over, she would
have been very dull in the evenings,
while her grandfather sat and dozed
in his arm chair, but for the compan-
ionship of her pet bullfinch, with his
glossy head and back, and brick dust.
colored waistcoat.
The grandfather had brought him
back as a present to Elsa, when he
was quite young bird, and the lat
ters kindness soon tanned him so that
he would eat out of her hand. Then
his education began; and on long win.
ter evenings, when the wind roared
through the forest and the river ragged
past the hut, old Franz would pull Oat
his clarionet, and by the light OF the
wood fire teach Bullie to pipe.
After much time and patience had
been expended on him, one day, to his
little mistress delight, he whistled
through the Austrian National
Hymn: God save Franz the Emper-
or" without Il mistake.
Elsa was never dull now. for there
was always some new tune to be
taught Bullie. and she and the bird be-
came inseparable. And thus, when
one Sunday morning; early, she and
her grandfather, both of them dressed
in their best, started over the noun
tain TO the feast at Inst, she tied up
Bullic's cage in u handkerchief, and
took him with her.
The streets of Inst were crowded
with peasants in holiday dress pro.
cceding to the outdoor stage, where
was performed the annual religious
play. The root was the blue sky, the
background the snow peaks; and Elsa
sat and listened, open mouthed, to the
quaint mixture OF old Testament story
and ancient legend.
Dinner followed at Frau Luia's, a
cousins, after which Bullie hoped
out OF the cage and went through his
performances. His shrill notes rang
out into the street, and Melchoir, the
peddler came, and taking him on his
finger listened critically. Melchoir
dealt in every sort of ware; and was d
great traveller, knowing every village
and valley in the district, and some
times even going as far as Innsbruck
or Munich.
"That's a fine bird of yours, Father
Franzl l don't mind giving you ten
llorins for him. What do you sayg"
Poor Elsa gave little cry of dismay,
but was relieved to hear her grand
father reply:
"Gold won't buy him, friend Mel
choir, thank you. lies my little
maiden's pet"
After dinner the three made the
round of the fair; they watched the
peasants rife shooting at targets, dane
ing under the trees, and singing songs
to the "xther," with wild 'joddling"
choruses, and only late regaining their
valley home.
A few weeks later winter set in, with
unusual violence of storm aud rain,
and brought dire misfortune TO Elsa
Her grandfather WAS confined to bed
with rheumatism, and the river rising
suddenly in the night. and flooding
the valley, carried oil their crops, and
drowned the two cows, their chief
support. The dampness and anxiety
made the old man so i'll that Elsa be-
came quite anxious. Their food and
their money were exhausted land there
was no more milk to make cheeses for
sale.
Elsa was at her wits end what to
do, when CHEEKY pipe from Bullie
reminded her o: Melchior's words. I'll
she sold the bird she could procure
medicine and food for her grandfather.
But it was a bitter wrench, and the
tears rolled down her cheeks and wet
ted Bullie's glossy coat, as, taking him
from his cage, she pressed him to her
lips for last kiss.
Then she told her grandfather she
was off to Inst to buy medicine.
There was lull in the storm, but
the mountains were swathed in cot
ton-wool-like fog, as the brave little
maiden assembled the winding path.
The moisture chilled her to the
bone, and the white world around her
frightened her by its silence. But on
she went, and the fog closed stealthily
round, and gradually hid the path and
every landmark from her sight. Strug-
Cling on in terror, rift in the midst
showed her she was utterly lost, and
on the brink of yawning precipice.
Overcome with fatigue and fear, Elsa
sank TO the ground, hiding Bullie's
cage under her cloak, and gave herself
up for lost, The cold fog wrapped her